Katherine Soucie 6/15/21 Katherine Soucie 6/15/21

#TMR - Episode 14 - Man Made Cellulosic Fiber (MMCF) Research + Policy-Making - Krisztina Ujhelyi

This episode is a conversation with researcher, environmental engineer and sustainability manager Krisztina Ujhelyi. Originally from Hungary she has spent much of her studies and research in various nordic countries leading her to work with the man made cellulosic fiber research project Ioncell at Aalto University in Finland.

We discuss her experience in working with this innovative fibre technology and its future possibilities. Her experience at Ioncell was not only limited to material research and prototyping but it involved contributing to the process of policy making. This helped define two pathways - end of life perspective or the lifecycle.     

For more information on our guest:

Krisztina Ujhelyi has a background in environmental engineering and sustainability management. It was during her work experiences, she encountered the dark side of the fast-fashion industry which led her to become involved in the collection of tremendous amounts of donated clothes in Norway. The impact of this experience made her extremely motivated to use her knowledge of the circular economy and sustainability to the apparel industry.

It was during her master’s at Aalborg University in Denmark, she took the initiative and became an intern at Aalto University Finland with a man-made cellulosic fiber technology called Ioncell. Over a 1.5 year time period, she immersed herself into material research and explored how this technology can utilise its chemical recycling potential for natural fibers. Her research contributed to the improvement of man-made cellulosic fiber technologies, textile recycling and the circular textile economy.

Currently, she is seeking to learn techniques from the creative side of the fashion industry and is spending time learning sewing techniques and volunteering with Fashion Revolution Hungary.

#TMR

The Material Revolution  http://thematerialrevolution.com

The podcast is independently developed and produced. It is through your support that will help us continue to create meaningful and impactful content.    Patreon page to make pledge: https://www.patreon.com/thematerialrevolution    Music by: Interior Design https://interiordesignmusic.bandcamp.com   

Katherine Soucie 6/3/21 Katherine Soucie 6/3/21

#TMR - Episode 13 - EILEEN FISHER WASTE NO MORE - Sigi Ahl + Abigail Erikson

This episode is a conversation with Elieen FIsher’s Waste No More Creative Director, Sigi Ahl and Administrative/Project Manager Abigail Erikson. Our discussion focuses on their innovative use of industrial needle felting and how they are utilising this technology to shift the narrative of this machinery into a design tool, resulting in an artisanal textile for the 21st century. We touch upon how Waste No More came into fruition and what they are doing differently.

Our conversation captures how their innovative approach is not only transforming and giving new life to pre-loved Eileen Fisher garments but how it lead them to establish a creative process, alternate design system and circular business model. It is through the reimagination of their own supply chain that they are translating material research into meaningful forms of engagements and collaborations.

For more information on our guests:

Sigi Ahl

Sigi Ahl is an artist and author based in New York. As a collaborator with EILEEN FISHER since the early days of the company, she helped found EILEEN FISHER’s recycle program in 2009 and went on to establish DesignWork as an extension of that endeavor. Ahl has had solo exhibitions in the US and Germany, as well as written and illustrated several children’s books, one of which was nominated for the German Children’s Literature Award. Her paintings and graphic works are in public collections including f.e. Rhineland-Palatinian Museum, Mainz; Museum for Contemporary Art, Cuxhaven; Marilie Hess-Foundation, Frankfurt; and the City of Frankfurt. Ahl received a Diploma in Visual Communication at Offenbach College of Applied Arts, and a Master’s Degree at the Frankfurt Academy of Fine Arts, Städel.

Abigail Erickson

Abigail began her career in the fashion industry a decade ago after graduating with a degree in Fashion Design & Business. Her early training at Marie Claire magazine, Theory, & Tibi made her realize the importance of sustainability in fashion and how it is sorely lacking. This observation lead her to the project On Purpose, a corporate social responsibility initiative by Kate Spade & Company.

Her time at Kate Spade was spent establishing a complex supply chain in rural Rwanda. She took her knowledge from there and went on to help scale sustainable fashion start-ups and small businesses. Her experience establishing complex supply chains spans many states & countries.

Erickson joined the EILEEN FISHER WASTE NO MORE team in 2018 as the Administrative & Project Manager. Erickson loves to organize, whether it be people or processes, & she loves systems (creating them or reorganizing them). She believes there is a solution for everything, it just takes a little creative problem solving & negotiating. Being a creative herself she understands that this is always a fluid process, never stagnant.

Social Media Links: @eileenfisherny @wastenomore @eileenfisherrenew

Website Links:

www.eileenfisher.com

www.wastenomore.com

www.eileenfisherrenew.com

#TMR

The Material Revolution  http://thematerialrevolution.com

photos: courtesy of EILEEN FISCHER WASTE NO MORE

Katherine Soucie 5/19/21 Katherine Soucie 5/19/21

#TMR - Episode 12 - The Universa-tility of Upcycling - Reet Aus

This episode is a conversation Estonian based sustainable designer Reet Aus. Reet is not only the pioneer of an in industrial upcycling method but she is a researcher, environmentalist, theater and film artist who has been experimenting with recycling in fashion and costume design since 2005.

Our conversation highlights the valuable role of upcycling as a design method and how it came to inspire the industrial recycling system she developed. But Reet’s knowledge and experience of upcycling reaches far beyond the traditional use of this method. She continues to explore and expand upon the concepts of upcycling by creating actionable solutions that are rethinking and changing they way we consider waste in our environment.

  For more information on our guest:

 Reet Aus is a PhD-qualified fashion designer and environmental activist, a natural rebel who founded REET AUS COLLECTION® and THE UPSHIRT®. She is a pioneer in the field of industrial upcycling for fashion, and has developed the UPMADE® certification, in order to pass on her knowledge to brands and factories.

 Reet’s guiding mission in life is to save the fashion industry from itself, and to show that there is a way of ending the throwaway culture that causes so much waste and destruction around the world, reducing the environmental footprint of the industry she loves. Change is possible - Reet’s story shows that - and she wants to be an inspiration to everyone!

Website: https://www.reetaus.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/reetaus

IG: https://www.instagram.com/reetaus/

#TMR

The Material Revolution  http://thematerialrevolution.com

The podcast is independently developed and produced. It is through your support that will help us continue to create meaningful and impactful content.  Patreon page to make a pledge:

https://www.patreon.com/thematerialrevolution   

Music by: Interior Design https://interiordesignmusic.bandcamp.com

Katherine Soucie 4/21/21 Katherine Soucie 4/21/21

#TMR - Episode 11 - Handled with Care - Coffee Bags + Circular Economy - Sylvia Calvo BCN

This episode is a conversation with Barcelona based eco designer and circular economy ambassador Sylvia Calvo of Sylvia Calvo BCN. Sylvia is driven by sustainable and circular principles and is motivated by the use residual natural materials, specifically coffee bags which are made from jute fibre. Her research in working with this resource and her ongoing collaboration with artists, craftspeople and local industry has contributed to the transformation and value perception of this material.

Our discussion captures the importance of practitioner knowledge within the circular economy and the necessary ongoing learning that is required in building and scaling a sustainable design practice. We also address

the quantum physics of materials, how care is integral in the creative process and in the methods used in design and how we can use fashion as a vehicle for knowledge.

    For more information on our guest:

Sylvia Calvo, born in Barcelona, studied English Philology at the University of Barcelona and obtained her MBA at Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago, USA, where she lived for about 15 years. There she worked for the airline industry, but moved back to Barcelona in 2002 to work in her family maritime transportation business. She always wanted to study fashion design, though the circumstances in life made it not possible at that time. 

After attending a conference about Eco-Fashion in 2012, the concept she had about the fashion and textile industry changed completely. She started to investigate, to read and to learn about sustainable fashion and the alternatives available to have a more positive social, environmental and economic impact.

In 2015, she created the brand “Sylvia Calvo BCN”, working mainly with original used coffee bags to transform them into garments and complements. Together with five colleagues, she co-founded the Non-profit Association “Moda Sostenible Barcelona” (MSBCN), the first association of this kind in Spain, in order to promote the benefits of sustainable fashion, its creation, production and comsumption, and to bring it closer to consumers.

International Masterclass: with EdenTravel program at different entities in the States and Europe.

Websites:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/sylviacalvobcn/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sylviacalvobcn/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviacalvo/?originalSubdomain=es

#TMR

The Material Revolution  http://thematerialrevolution.com

Katherine Soucie 2/15/21 Katherine Soucie 2/15/21

#TMR - Episode 1 - Cotton + Circularity - Benjamin Itter - Lebenskleidung